** [[Animism]] &mdash; unification of matter and spirit; all material things have souls or spirits

−

** [[Gnosticism]] &mdash; knowledge of God; more specifically, a diverse religious tradition in the first few centuries A.D. which stressed knowledge of the divine origins of the universe and human beings

+

** [[Esotericism]] &mdash; knowledge of the divine is available to only a few enlightened individuals

** [[Esotericism]] &mdash; knowledge of the divine is available to only a few enlightened individuals

+

** [[Gnosticism]] &mdash; knowledge of God; more specifically, a diverse religious tradition in the first few centuries A.D. which stressed knowledge of the divine origins of the universe and human beings

** [[Omnitheism]] &mdash; all religions have some appreciation of the inherent spirituality of existence; stresses reconciliation of different religious traditions and of religions with scientific understanding

** [[Omnitheism]] &mdash; all religions have some appreciation of the inherent spirituality of existence; stresses reconciliation of different religious traditions and of religions with scientific understanding

−

** [[Theosophy]] &mdash; a purported "body of truth" that forms the basis of all religions

** [[Spiritualism]] &mdash; religious movement popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries centered around the possibility of contacting spirits of the dead

** [[Spiritualism]] &mdash; religious movement popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries centered around the possibility of contacting spirits of the dead

It is notoriously difficult to define what does and does not constitute a religion, due to the sheer variety of human religious beliefs and practices. Taoism and Confucianism, for instance, are sometimes described as philosophies rather than religions.

Contents

Classification

Many religions are subdivided into sects or denominations, resulting in a huge number of labels for the religious to choose from. The major world religions are typically, however, divided into three large groups: